Is Google Quietly Losing? YouTube “Stations” Impact? 3 Big Questions for Google | Behind the Numbers

Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast · May 8, 2026 · 24 min

Summary

Google's Q1 2026 earnings reveal a search advertising behemoth with cracks appearing in its ad machine. While search revenue is surging, its massive AI investments need to be validated through new ad formats, and competitive threats from Apple Maps, Amazon's retail media, and even OpenAI are forcing Google to rethink its ad strategy beyond traditional search. Ecommerce operators should note the increasing importance of AI-powered ad tools and the shift in SEO relevance as AI overviews gain prominence.

Key takeaways

• Google's search ad revenue is growing, but other ad verticals are struggling against competitors such as Apple in maps and Amazon in retail media.
• Google is heavily investing in AI, but the monetization strategy for AI-powered ads in platforms like Gemini is still evolving, with a 'wait and see' approach to observe competitor (OpenAI) performance.
• Advertisers need to adapt to the changing search landscape where AI overviews are becoming more prominent, potentially diminishing the relevance of traditional SEO and paid search placements.
• AI-powered advertising tools are becoming crucial, with Google claiming up to 80% sales increases for some brands using these tools.
• Google is trying to combat retail media competition from Amazon and Walmart by striking deals with other retail platforms and ad tech providers.

Themes

Topics covered

Episode description

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Google right now: If Google is winning at search, where is its ad machine quietly losing? Is its self-driving car unit, Waymo, a sleeping giant for the company? And are its new traditional TV-style “Stations” the right model for YouTube as it tries to take over the living room? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Marisa Jones and Senior Forecasting Analyst Drew Spink. Listen everywhere, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Get more insights like these with our free, industry-leading newsletters covering advertising, marketing, and commerce. Sign up at emarketer.com/newslettersFollow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.comFor more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com For a transcript of this episode click here:https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-google-quietly-losing-youtube-stations-impact-3-big-questions-google-behind-numbers © 2026 EMARKETER

Related episodes

• He ranked 3,000 quizzes— Send It!
• Meta Ads Underperforming? Why + What To Do Right Now— Marketing Operators
• Upsells & Cross-Sells: Increase Revenue Through AOV Optimisation By Nick Trueman— Winning With Shopify Podcast: Ecommerce Growth for Shopify Store Owners
• Shopify's Campaign Autopilot: AI Ad Agent?— The Unofficial Shopify Podcast
• 386. Replay: eCommerce Fall Sales & Marketing Strategy— eCommerce Badassery
• 329: 3 Things You Must Know Before You Take a Business Loan— The Ecommerce Roadmap

Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about paid acquisition?

Google's search ad revenue is growing, but other ad verticals are struggling against competitors such as Apple in maps and Amazon in retail media.

What does this episode say about analytics & attribution?

Google is heavily investing in AI, but the monetization strategy for AI-powered ads in platforms like Gemini is still evolving, with a 'wait and see' approach to observe competitor (OpenAI) performance.

What does this episode say about ai & automation?

Advertisers need to adapt to the changing search landscape where AI overviews are becoming more prominent, potentially diminishing the relevance of traditional SEO and paid search placements.

What does this episode say about founder & leadership?

AI-powered advertising tools are becoming crucial, with Google claiming up to 80% sales increases for some brands using these tools.

What does this episode say about paid acquisition?

Google is trying to combat retail media competition from Amazon and Walmart by striking deals with other retail platforms and ad tech providers.

Listen

Listen on Apple PodcastsShow website